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Currently, X-Men fans everywhere are eagerly awaiting the arrival of season 2 of X-Men '97. The show's debut season in 2024 won over fans of the original X-Men: The Animated Series and courted an entirely new generation of fans, thanks to its retro styling and charming campy atmosphere. Plus, the animation was a much-needed upgrade befitting Marvel's Merry Mutants. 

So how did this all come about? What aspects about X-Men: The Animated Series did Marvel Studios want to remain intact for this new take on the beloved show? As it turns out, executive producer Brad Winderbaum had grown up with the original Animated Series and already had a revival in mind when he was placed in charge of Marvel Animation - but Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige had two must-haves before he'd agree, both of which Winderbaum shared at New York Comic Con 2025's Marvel TV panel this year. 

“Kevin [Feige] let me know that he wanted me to take over television and animation. He asked me what shows I would want to make, and the first thing I said, I think, was to reboot the animated series from the ‘90s. Kevin got it right away, he saw it too. He just [had] two caveats: Do we own the music, and can we get the cast back?" Winderbaum said. 

The music for X-Men '97 was composed by the original duo behind X-Men: The Animated Series, the Newton Brothers. Now, The Newton Brothers are neither brothers nor do they have the last name "Newton," but we can all agree that the composing duo can write bangers. 

It's also been a sweet victory lap for the cast of the show, many of whom originally voiced these characters back in the 1990s. It's safe to say that none of them expected that X-Men: The Animated Series would become the phenomenon that it became, and it's lovely to see them reassemble once more for X-Men '97. 

Join Popverse in our own little X-Mansion as we cover just about everything you need to know about the X-Men. Learn how Marvel's mighty mutants are classified by power, or why the Krakoan Age of comics is coming to an end. And once you're done with those, keep up with the characters' big screen outings via Popverse's X-men movie watch order.